What do current team-mates say about Saakashvili and how the President’s milieu underwent changes for years? Kakha Kukava, leader of ‘Free Georgia’ tells us about this:

K.K. – One of the high-ranking officials told me about the shock Saakashvili had after hearing the 5 January, 2008 election results. He didn’t believe that in Tbilisi and the regions where honest elections were held, his rating actually equaled zero. The same evening he ordered to think

up of something. Next day at 6 o’clock in the morning he was informed that there was lack of 300 thousand votes; Saakashvili ordered not to correct the election protocols in Marneuli, Gardabani and Akhalkalaki regions but to write the results anew. By doing so they accrued 53%.

Q. – For some people confrontation in Mereti served as a signal that for their victory authorities won’t shun even physical reprisal.

K.K. Mereti event as well as financial sanctions imposed on opposition, prove that the Administration is thoroughly considering the issue of repressions: registration of opposition parties will be annulled and the leaders will either be arrested or deported. Saakashvili is staking everything because he knows that only rigging of elections won’t be enough for him…He knows well what risk he’ll take by repressions but he can’t stop himself because he’s going to be busted and he thinks that this may save him; but it’s a grave mistake.

The reason of 2007 protest was the fact that the whole opposition was driven to a wall. Taking into consideration Giga Bokeria’s position, the opposition parties were told that none of them would be admitted to Parliament. This resulted in unification of liberal, radical and moderate political forces. Today the authorities are consciously making the same mistake. Excessive repressions may artificially cause whatever didn’t happen naturally – unification of opposition and mass protest rallies.

For the elections I’m expecting two possible scenarios of processes: either the authorities rig the elections but Washington will legitimize them, or due to the scale of rigging it may cause a ‘short circuit’ and people will rush to streets despite the opposition leaders’ call not to do so.

Q. – Under these circumstances personnel changes and building of Prime Minister’s power have significant importance.

K.K. – By appointing Merabishvili as PM Saakashvili’s main aim was to carry out a draft alternative social demagogy and to more effectively oppose Ivanishvili’s program; Giliuri as a technocrat wouldn’t manage to do it.

Georgian detainees Maia Otinashvili and Akaki Dotiashvili are freed from the Tskhinvali prison. They had been accused of illegally crossing a so-called the borderline into the occupied Tskhinvali region.

On the 28th of October, presidential elections will be held in Georgia. The last elections in October 2013 resulted in a victory for Giorgi Margvelashvili, a candidate of the Georgian Dream (the ruling party).